Looking to start his new position with a clean slate and with no appearances of impropriety, Staten Island GOP Board of Elections Commissioner Ronald Castorina Jr. told his mother, Arelene, that she would have to leave her job as a clerk at the BOE office in Clifton.

And Mom wasn't too happy.

"I loved working there," said Mrs. Castorina, a New Springville resident who earned around $27,000 at her job as a voter registration clerk.

Castorina admitted it was a tough call, but said, "I didn't want to have any issues, even the appearance of impropriety."

He said that shortly after being named to the board, he talked with his mom and they decided "it would be the best thing if she stepped down."

Castorina, of Tottenville, said his concern had been heightened by the recent Department of Investigation probe of the BOE. The reputation the board already has for being heavy on nepotism also weighed on his mind.

"As commissioner, I would be the only person with the ability to fire her in the event of a personnel problem," he said. "I felt that it would be improper to keep her employed under my watch. It was more important that the right thing be done. I wanted to go in with a clean slate."

After talking it over as a family, it was decided that Mrs. Castorina would leave along with others let go at the end of the year in 2013.

But that didn't make it easy.

"It was rough," Castorina said. "She really loved her job. She was a little emotional when she left. I was afraid I wouldn't get invited for Sunday dinner."

"I loved working there," Mrs. Castorina. "It was a really nice working environment."

But she said her son came first.

"In my heart, I don't want anything to hurt his career," said Mrs. Castorina. "It was a hard choice, but I did it for him."

As for banning her son from Sunday dinner, she joked, "I did think about that for sure."

But she said of course her son was welcome.

"I love my son," she said. "I'm so proud of him."

"She has been more than understanding, and things are fine in the family," Castorina said. "It's not easy to fire your mom."